Mucosal Immunity

Microbial biofilms are generally constituted by distinct subpopulations of specialized cells. Single-cell analysis o

Author summary Research to date has identified many genetic variants that are more common in people with a particular disease. However, in conditions that reflect multiple genetic and environmental factors, it is difficult to know with certainty if and why any particular genetic variant is causative and the mechanism that may underlie this. Such variants are often outside of protein-coding exons, instead falling in regions that regulate gene expression. In these cases, the genetic variation may alter transcription factor binding and subsequent gene expression. In this study, we have examined how genetic variation affects T-bet binding to DNA, as a key transcriptional regulatory mechanism in the immune response. An inability to mount this response effectively can result in increased susceptibility to infections or cancer, while a response that is too strong, or wrongly targeted, can result in uncontrolled/chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. We have found that T-bet binding sites are specifically enriched in genetic variants associated with the mucosal autoinflammatory diseases UC, Crohn’s disease and celiac disease. We also identify genetic variants that alter T-bet binding and gene expression. This discovery thus identifies a molecular mechanism through which genetic variants can be associated with increased risk of mucosal autoimmune disease.

Author summary O-glycosylation is a common type of post-translational modification of proteins; specific abnormalities in the mechanism of O-glycosylation have been implicated in cancer, inflammatory and blood diseases. However, the molecular basis of abnormal O-glycosylation in these complex disorders is not known. We studied the genetic basis of defective O-glycosylation of serum immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1), that represents the key pathogenic defect in IgA nephropathy, the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. We report our results of the first genome-wide association study for this trait using serum assays in 2,633 individuals of European and East-Asian ancestry. In our genome scan, we observed two significant signals with large effects, on chromosomes 7p21.3 and Xq24, jointly explaining about 7% of trait variability. These signals implicate two genes that encode molecular partners essential for enzymatic O-glycosylation of IgA1 and mucins, and represent potential new targets for therapy.

Australian researchers are a step closer to understanding immune sensitivities to well-known, and commonly prescribed, medications.

Autoantigen-specific immunological tolerance represents a central objective for prevention of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Sampling various compartments within the lower airways to examine human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) is essential for understanding numerous lung diseases.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is characterised by prolonged and exaggerated airways inflammation. Despite recent developments to overcome the underlying functional defect in CFTR ..

Arch Toxicol. 2017 Feb 8. doi: 10.1007/s00204-016-1916-3. [Epub ahead of print] Review

Mucosal Immunology is the official publication of the Society of Mucosal Immunology (SMI). It aims to provide a forum for both basic and clinical scientists to discuss all aspects of immunity and inflammation involving mucosal tissues. The journal reflects the interests of scientists studying gastrointestinal, pulmonary, nasopharyngeal, oral, ocular, and genitourinary immunology through the publication of original research articles, scholarly reviews, and timely commentaries, editorials and letters.